Stephen Jackson

After the 0-2 start by the Cavs, I am a little surprised we are playing this bad, but at the same time it was expected because of the Delonte West, and injury situations. Its only been 2 games, so its tough to gauge a solid analysis of the team, so I will wait a little longer to post my thoughts.

Recently, there have been reports that a trade for Stephen Jackson is on the horizon. This comes from both Marc Stein and Chris Broussard of ESPN. According to Stein, executives around the league believe that the Cleveland Cavs are the favorites to land Jackson. I believe this to be true for a few reasons:

1. Of the known teams that are interested in Jackson (Nuggets, Spurs, and Hornets), the Cavs can probably offer the best deal to the Warriors. The Nuggets have a trade exception they can use, but it is too small to acquire Jackson. The Warriors want Manu Ginobili for Jackson, which won't happen. The Hornets have no expiring contracts to offer. The Cavs can offer Z's expiring deal, which offers immediate cap relief to the Warriors. Jackson's trade value is low right now because teams know that he wants out. Think about it, Z for Stephen Jackson. Z for Stephen Jackson. Wait, I'll say it again, Z for Stephen Jackson. Did you see Z play at the end of last year and these first two games? He can no longer score in the post, and if he isn't shooting well, he provides little aside from tip in's on offense. On defense he is too slow on pick and rolls, and he can't play with Shaq due to their lack of speed. Against athletic bigmen (Raptors last night), the Cavs were killed on D when these two were on the floor. Z can't guard the pick and roll, and he is too slow to close out on his man. When we play Orlando, they will have Rashard Lewis, and Ryan Anderson who can stretch the floor, and one of the most athletic bigmen in Dwight Howard.

Now people say, "We can't trade Z, he has been here forever!" Well guess what people, if the Cavs walk away from a deal because of this reasoning and it costs us a championship, then I really won't care about Z or anyone on this team aside from LeBron. If LeBron walks because we wanted to show our loyalty to Z, then I can never forgive Danny Ferry and Co. No one will talk about how we kept Z if LeBron walks. My point is, a championship ring is the most important piece on our agenda. There is too much riding on this season to worry about feelings....

2. According to these reports, both LeBron and Shaq are open to trading for Stephen Jackson. I'm not saying these guys demand Jackson, but its nice know that they are open to a trade with him. They obviously believe it wouldn't hurt our chemistry to much (we really don't have much chemistry right now anyways). Jackson could either start, or play with our 2nd unit and provide much scoring spark. If you saw our 2nd unit play versus Boston, you can see that we need someone who can create their own shot, and with Jackson he does that. Even in the Orlando series, our bench was outscored by Mickael Pietrus himself. As I stated in my last blog, Jackson is an ok shooter, good scorer, and good defender. He can guard Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant, and Vince Carter. This will allow LeBron to catch his breath on defense, and roam around with his great speed. Also, Jackson played while Mike Brown was an assistant at Indiana, and his game grew under Brown. We need someone who can come in with our 2nd unit, and keep a lead or stay in a game while LeBron is resting.

3. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Aside from the reports Stein and Broussard have written, Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst reported a week ago that the Cavs are having internal discussions about acquiring Jackson. These rumors don't seem to be going away, and if executives around the league believe the Cavs are the favorite to land Jackson, shows that the Cavs have a legitimate interest in Jackson. Aside from an increase in scoring with our 2nd unit, discussions for Jackson lead me to believe that the Delonte situation is really in the air. We don't know when he is going to come back, and if he doesn't stay on his medication, he could really hurt his mental health. The Cavs can't go very long without getting West back. He is so important to our team with his defense, shooting, and ballhandling.

While I don't think we will acquire Jackson tomorrow, if the Cavs continue to struggle, especially the 2nd unit, I could definitely see the Cavs pulling the trigger down the road, contingent on the Cavs finding another team to supplement us with a bigman. The only way the Cavs make a deal for Jackson is if we find a 3rd team to give us a bigman, and in return we trade Daniel Gibson (he becomes expendable because Jackson plays SG too), or Darnell Jackson. The Cavs won't trade a bigman for a guard, they need a backup to Shaq.

Some of the reasons for not doing this deal are that Jackson is 31, and still has 3 years on his deal after this year. The Cavs are going to be paying the luxary tax as long as LeBron is here, and I am sure Dan Gilbert won't mind paying for Jackson. It is early in the season, and while the Cavs are 0-2, they do need time to gel and play together. Also, if/when Delonte comes back, he or Anthony Parker will help our 2nd unit, but it still won't make it as good as if we had Jackson. Also, the Cavs need to find themselves a solid backup bigman if they do trade Z, because they will have a real thin frontcourt. To me, finding a 3rd team willing to bigman is the biggest sticking point in the trade.

Well thats about it for now. I think a lot of people are against this trade, but I think this situation will re-visited in a few weeks. If the Cavs continue to struggle, especially with Z's declining play, our 2nd unit struggles, or if Delonte doesn't come back, then I definitely think you will hear the Cavs in a lot of trade conversations. Remember, LeBron can become a free agent on July 1st 2010.........

-Raz

Cavs Season Preview

Alright, its the night before the Cavs first game versus the Boston Celtics. The Browns are a mess, and the Indians are the Indians. At least we have something to look forward to until June. Here is my preview of the Cavs season.

This is the best Cavs team we have ever seen

Think about this, the Cavs lost forwards Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Lorenzen Wright, and guards Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szerbiack and replaced them with C Shaq, SG Anthony Parker, SF Jamario Moon, and SG Danny Green. As a side note, the team is on the verge of adding PG/SG Antonio Daniels. The Cavs last year won 66 games. Im not saying we are going to go 72-10, but I can see the Cavs easily winning 60 games again. Its sad to say, but out of all those guys we lost, the only one who kind of made a difference on the court was Ben Wallace, and his output was pretty minimal. We addressed the problem of size we saw last year in the Orlando series. Jamario Moon is 6'9 and can dunk over anyone, Anthony Parker is 6'6 and was one of Toronto's best defenders last year, Danny Green is 6'6, and Shaq is 7'0. Parker is a solid shooter, Green was a great shooter in college, and Moon is a great finisher at the basket. Moon can now effectively guard Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Ryan Barnes and Ryan Anderson. Aside from LeBron, name me one player on the Cavs last year that could guard all of those guys? This allows guys like LeBron to play PF in small ball lineups, imagine Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson trying to guard this guy. Also, Delonte won't have to guard 6'10 forwards anymore. Adding Daniels is a move to just bring a veteran presence in the locker room, he won't play more than 10 minutes a night, and he will just handle the ball when Mo, Delonte, and Lebron are out of the game.

The Cavs looked to find someone to contain Dwight Howard downlow, and they got themselves Shaq. Shaq is the most dominant center of our generation, and when he is motivated he is still a force to be reckoned with. The Cavs will keep a close eye on Shaq, and limit his minutes to keep him healthy. Dwight Howard will not be able to just move Shaq around downlow like he did last year. Also, this acquisition finally allows Z to move to the bench. Now teams have to deal with 2 7-footers for most of the game. Z will cause huge matchup problems because most second units in the NBA don't have someone with that much size to stop Z and his outside shooting. The only drawback to having Shaq is that he is not the best at defending the pick and roll, and this is where the Cavs must find a way to use their team defense to neutralize this disadvantage.

Delonte West's personal issues somewhat scare me

Delonte West is one of my favorite Cavs. He was arrested for possession of guns a couple months ago, and he has been dealing with depression and bipolar disorder. He came to the first day of training, but then did not show up for the next few days and had unexcused absences. Delonte finally showed up, and he has been practicing with the team for the past few weeks, but has not played in any preseason games. Im not worried about Delonte's playing condition, last year he missed 2 weeks of training camp and he was fine throughout the season. The part that worries me is the fact that his personal problems have threatened his status with the team. This is the biggest season in Cavs history, we acquired Shaq, we have the most talented roster ever, and by the way, that guy LeBron, yeah he can be a free agent next year. There is too much riding on this season. I am not trying to be selfish, I want to give Delonte as much time he needs to recover, but he needs to take responsibilities for his actions, take his medication, and make sure he becomes well. Do you find it funny that the Cavs have inquired about Golden State G Stephen Jackson?

Z's expiring contract might be the last big trade chip we have

Z has an $11 million expiring contract, and we all know how valuable expiring contracts are. With the state of the economy, NBA franchises are losing money and this can be evident in the fact that the salary cap is going to decrease next year. Revenues are down, and if teams are out of the playoff hunt early, they may look to unload some contracts. The reason why his contract is so valuable is because of the fact that Mo, Anderson, Delonte, Daniel, JJ, Jamario, Darnell are all under contract in 2010. Delonte's deal is partially guaranteed, and so is Leon Powe's. We don't have much cap space to sign anyone else in 2010, and we don't have any big expiring deals to use. I know everyone loves Z because he has been here from the start, and it would be sad to see him go, but guess what, if you can get a young, athletic, proven PF who can score, then you can't hesitate on a deal. This season is too big for the Cavs to not consider trading Z. Also, the reason why Z is so valuable is because he could accept a buyout from the team he gets traded to, wait 30 days and re-join the Cavs. I'm not 100% sure Z would do that, but if you could think of any Cavs player who would do that, it would be Z.

Another big trade chip that the Cavs could develop is that of F JJ Hickson. Already in preseason basketball, Hickson is showing considerable improvement in his game. If he could learn to cut down his defensive mistakes he could be starting. The signing of Leon Powe was genius because if Hickson is slow in development, the Cavs can plug Powe into the rotation, and dangle Hickson as trade bait to sweeten a deal. Powe is a low risk signing because he is signed for 2 years, but his 2nd year is a team option, so if he gets hurt again we can decline his option and save some cap space.

Briefly talking about the Stephen Jackson deal, if I am the Cavs I don't pull the trigger now. Jackson is 31, and he still has 3 years on his deal. His trade value is pretty low right now, as he has made it known that he doesn't wanna play for the Warriors anymore. The Cavs could probably get a player of the same caliber with a much friendlier contract for Z's expiring deal. I would love to have Jackson because he did his best when Mike Brown was an assistant for Indiana, and Jackson seems to respect Brown. Jackson has made it known that he wants to play here. Also, Jackson could defend Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Vince Carter. Jackson is an ok 3 point shooter at 34% for his career, but he turns the ball over way too much (2.5 TO's per game last year, and 3.8 TO's for his career average). If I am the Cavs, I just wait it out a little bit, and see what other opportunities arise.

Expect improvements from JJ Hickson and Daniel Gibson

Aside from Jamario Moon, Lebron hasn't played with a guy as athletic as Hickson. He is what you look for in a power forward, he can jump, block shots, rebound, and score in the post. He has size as he is 6'10, and he can jump almost as high as Lebron. He is expected to be the 4th bigman in the rotation behind Z. He will get a good 15-20 minutes of playing time. One of the ways for Hickson to improve is to continue playing, and try to correct the mistakes he makes. He is still a raw defender, but hopefully Mike Brown can fix these problems.

Daniel Gibson has been disappointing since his 31 point breakout performance in Game 6 versus the Pistons 3 years ago in the Eastern Conference Finals. He might not be the PG of the future we imagined, but I believe he is someone who can shoot very well. When Gibson is confident, he can make it rain from anywhere. He battled a toe injury last year which affected his shooting. Now that he is healthy, he has been working on his game in the offseason. With Shaq and Lebron on the floor, teams will be concentrating their efforts to try and stop these guys. This will allow guys like Gibson to become free and get lots of good looks for Gibson. If Gibson can't shoot between 37-40% from 3 this year, then I will consider Gibson a disappointment.

The Cavs will win the Eastern Conference

I will say it now, barring an injury to any of our core players, the Cavs will win the Eastern Conference. We can play the slowdown, grind it out tempo with the Celtics, and we now matchup with the size of the Magic. One facet of basketball I have come to realize in the past few years is the NBA is a game of match-ups. Last year, the Cavs could not match the size of the Magic as they looked helpless in the conference finals. Think about this, 2 years ago the Cavs almost beat the Celtics in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Our team this year is so much better than the team we had back then. For the previous 2 years, the Cavs played two teams who had better talent then they did (Celtics and Pistons), but the Cavs just matched up with them, and they won one of the series due to an amazing performance by Lebron (Pistons Game 5), and the Celtics big three were just too much for LeBron himself to beat. Both those series on paper made the Cavs look like underdogs, but the team contended and even won because of the fact that the Cavs were able to matchup well with their slow, grind it out, defense oriented gameplan. The Cavs can now matchup with most teams, and they have comparable talent as well. Lebron has so much heat taken off of him now with Shaq in town.

When Mo wasn't hitting his shots, it was all on LeBron to carry the team and this was evident in the Orlando series. Now Mo is our 3rd option, with Shaq being the main sidekick. Dwight Howard will not be able to score with as much ease as he did last year. He won't move Shaq like he moved Z and Wallace last year. If Howard is struggling, as we saw in the Lakers series, the Magic are not as effective. Also, the loss of Hedo Turkgolu by the Magic hurts the matchup problems they caused last year (He's 6'10 playing SF). He ran the pick and roll so well, as he could just shoot over Delonte because of his height. He hit huge shots last year for the Magic. Vince Carter is a great player, but the Cavs found ways to shut him down when he played for the Nets. I remember in the 2007 playoffs, both Larry Hughes and Eric Snow shut down Vince Carter to beat the Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Delonte and Parker can easily contain him. Carter doesn't strike as much fear into me as Hedo does. Yes, the Magic might have a deeper and more talented roster, but they no longer can shoot over teams with as much ease as they did last year.

The Celtics are a year older, and if any of their core players get hurt their chances are basically shot. I personally believe that Rasheed Wallace is close to being done, and his impact won't really be that big. Rajon Rondo wants a new contract and he was put on the trading block this offseason. This Celtics team isn't as deep as the team they had 2 years ago who won the championship. The fact that this teams 3 best players are all over the age of 32 just scares me. By the Magic series last year, the Celtics just looked tired out there. Pierce didn't seem to be as effective as he was in years past, and this team needs all its pieces to contend.

I just think the Cavs can play dual styles of basketball, and their team is much deeper than last year. We have the athleticism to run with Lebron, Delonte, Mo, Moon, and Hickson, but we can slow the tempo down with Shaq, Z, Delonte, and Anderson. Hickson will get more playing time, Moon has been consistent in his 2 years in the league, Parker has been a rock during his time in Toronto, Shaq can still score when motivated/healthy, who is a force to be reckoned with, and Powe was an integral part of the Celtics bench in his times with them. Shaq will be motivated for a few reasons, one, he wants to play for a couple more years. If he can prove he can play at a solid level at 37, then a team will definitely give him a contract offer. Two he wants to get his 5th ring. Both Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant have 4, and he wants to top them. I am sure he wants to tell Kobe how his ass tastes. We finally have players who have proven that they can be counted on to produce when needed. O yeah, I forgot to mention that guy LeBron, he's pretty solid.

The LA Lakers will win the NBA Championship

I know Cavs fans, this is the best Cavs team we have had, but I still don't think we can beat the Lakers. Had the team not signed Ron Artest, I would say the Cavs win it all. Artest is one of the few guys that can slow LeBron down in the NBA. This allows Kobe to guard someone else on defense, which gives him more energy on offense. Lamar Odom will cause matchup problems for us because Shaq and Z can't guard him. The only guy I can think of that can hang with him is Moon, but Odom could easily post up Moon. If Lebron tries to guard Odom, then Bryant will have a much easier time scoring because Lebron is out best perimeter defender. While Gasol might be neutralized by Shaq, Andrew Bynum didn't even produce much last year, and the Lakers still won it all. If Bynum stays healthy and produces, the Lakers will be very hard to beat. The only way the Cavs can beat the Lakers is if Mo Williams destroys Derek Fischer, because Fischer is one of the few weak links on the Lakers. Also, another way the Cavs can beat the Lakers is if Artest just implodes and goes crazy, which is possible. Artest said last year he saw a sports psychologist. During the Rockets/Lakers playoff series last year, Artest missed the first two team busses to the Staples Center for game 7. Artest came out in his boxers and got on the last bus which was for the owners, and team officials. If the Cavs make a move for a tall scoring PF, or if Hickson develops much quicker than we think, then I might change my mind.

Miscellaneous

The Cavs do have a tough stretch of games in the first part of the season. PD's Brian Windhorst wrote a great piece about our schedule this year, and you should all check it out. Don't be shocked if the Cavs start off a little slower this year than expected. The team has dealt with the Delonte issue, nagging injuries, and the flu bug. It will take some time to integrate Shaq, Moon, and Parker into the rotation. West might not even be starting for a part of the season, as he might come off the bench to play backup PG, while Parker starts at SG. We will see an expanded role from JJ Hickson and that will take some getting used to.

I expect LeBron to win the MVP award this year, finish top 3 in Defensive Player of the Year, and be all NBA First Team. I think the Cavs will end up beating the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, but I see us losing to the Lakers. I know most of you disagree, but I just think the Lakers have too much size, depth, skill, and coaching for us to overcome. Also, I think LeBron stays after this year as well, but I will write about that at a later date.

Thanks for reading, go Cleveland!

Updates

Here are some quick thoughts about recent Cleveland sporting events.

-Browns are still bad. The team fought for most of the game today against the Steelers, but you can tell the Browns are still a few players short of beating the Steelers. The receivers couldn't catch a cold, and the defense couldn't cover anyone. Not a good combination when playing the Steelers.

-Trading Braylon was probably a good thing. He did not want to be here, and he once asked Houston Texans safety Will Demps in between plays during a game last year how he could get into modeling and acting. Boy, I am glad we don't have Braylon anymore. The guy has tons of potential, but he is someone who always wants the spotlight, and didn't seem to embrace the city of Cleveland. He didn't understand the fact that when you lead the NFL in drops, fans aren't going to like you that much.

-We might as well start 3rd string QB Brent Ratliff. Its obvious DA is nothing more than a fringe/spot starter at QB, and Brady Quinn seems to have just lost it. There are trade rumors going about Quinn and Anderson, and I wouldn't be shocked if one of them was dealt. According to sources, a team has called about the availability of Anderson. Jacksonville and Tennessee are two teams who remain interested in Brady Quinn as well. If you ask me, if you can get some mid-round selections for Anderson or Quinn, you do it. This team is going to be drafting in the top 5 next year, and they will need a franchise signal caller.

-If this team trades Josh Cribbs, I will never watch a Browns game again. This guy is simply amazing. It shocks me the Browns will not give him his contract extension. Lets see, he returns kicks (had a great one today), makes special teams tackles, and runs your wildcat offense. He is completely fearless out there, and he seems to keep the Browns in a lot of games whether it comes from his returns, or with his great rushing abilities.

-I have not been impressed with head coach Eric Mangini these past two games. After showing people he could hang with the Bengals, he follows it with 2 sub-par performances. I know it takes time to implement your system and turn it around, but the coach has to have some sort of accountability. Passion and emotion on the football field will only take you so far, you need smart, physical, and just flat out good players to win. Right now, we just don't have that. Hopefully with the 11 draft picks we have next year we can find some good players.

-There has been some discussion about the Cavs having an interested in disgruntled Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Jackson. The Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst said that the Cavs HAVE had internal discussions about acquiring Jackson. Some believe he is worth the risk, but not the price the Warriors are asking for. The Cavs do not want to part with Z, Hickson or AV in a deal for Jackson. The team needs as many bigmen as possible. The Cavs will not trade a bigman for a guard. If we could use Daniel Gibson in a trade it would be nice. Jackson grew as a player when Mike Brown was an assistant with the Pacers, and Jackson is a great perimeter defender who can shoot. The only part I don't like about getting Jackson is that his deal goes for another 3 years. This could hurt future cap space, and with Jackson being 31, he could be dead weight by the last year of his deal.

-I hope Delonte West can get back soon and start playing in the pre-season games. The team has been resting there players with nagging injuries, and the team needs to play together for a couple games just to get in rhythm.

-The Indians are interviewing Manny Acta, and Bobby Valentine for the managerial position. I would prefer to not have Acta as he did not do well with the Nationals. Valentine would be interesting because of his personality (fake mustache), and experience he had with the NY Mets. It will be interesting to see where the Indians go with this.

That about does it. Go Cleveland!

-Raz

I Don't Even Know...

I am just gonna focus this one on the Browns game versus the Ravens today.

-I don't even know anymore about this team anymore. This is probably almost as bad as the first game the Browns played since game 1 of the 1999 season. The defense is slow, out of position, and cant tackle. The offense is too predictable, short, boring, and fringe.

-When Brady was in, he threw a horrible INT because the cornerback knew Braylon wasn't going deep. I said this last time, when teams know you won't stretch the defense, they will be able to pick off your short passes. Once DA came in at halftime, his turnovers came back as he threw 3 INT's. He tried throwing the ball deep, but its not easy to complete passes with 3 defenders surrounding Braylon. This is because you don't have a true #2 receiver to take pressure off your #1 receiver. I guess the Browns are kind of screwed, they can't throw the ball deep because of a lack of playmakers, and they can't throw the ball short because teams will just pack the box. This is why we need to play Mo Massaqoui and Brian Robiskie more, the season is over, we have nothing to lose, lets see what our 2nd round picks are made of.

-I was watching the game with one of my best friends today and we both noticed how every time the Browns threw the ball, a Ravens defender was right there to tackle him. Anytime the Ravens threw the ball, the Browns would be 3-4 yards away from the defender, and could barley tackle. We just stared at the TV in amazement asking ourselves why? Also, after the Ravens would score or hit a field goal, we would hope Cribbs would return it for a TD. Never once did we mention a big run by Jerome Harrison, or a bomb to Braylon Edwards. When your counting on Josh Cribbs to be your main source of offense via special teams kickoffs, thats just sad......

-The Browns defense was on the field for 31 minutes, over half the game again. Even with that said, 2 of the TD's scored by the Ravens, the runner went in the endzone untouched. This tells me the Browns D did not hit their gap assignments and were out of position. With 11 guys on the field coming after you, its hard for one of them to not touch you. Also, Derrick Mason' TD pass was just horrible, it was a case of a missed coverage assignment and horrible tackling. I've seen both Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald get tossed trying to tackle players, and its just sad.

-Eric Mangini really disappointed me today. I really gave him the benefit of the doubt from the minute he was hired, but I am starting to believe what most people said about the team. He did a solid job with the Jets, and he seemed to instill a sense of discipline with the team, but it has not translated to the regular season. Sports Illustrated's Peter King said he got he worst vibe from the Browns Training Camp. They predicted us to go 2-14, and I don't think they are that far off. The team looked like they just quit today. Earlier in the week rookie CB Coye Francies punched a Browns player in the face after a prank, 3 Browns players filed grievances for fines levied by Mangini, Mangini's opening day starter Brady Quinn was benched at halftime after he completed 6/8 passes, and the team isn't showing any improvement in play. I am not sure, but I feel like the team could be jumping ship sooner or later.

-The QB controversy will linger all week, and honestly I have no idea who should start next week. Mangini doesn't seem to trust Quinn fully, and Anderson proved he is the same quarterback he was last year with the 3 INT's. Mangini needs to pick a QB, use him to the best of his abilities, develop a gameplan that will put him in the best situation to win, and stick by him. If you keep switching QB's, you shatter their confidence, and the team as a whole will not be able to trust the coach because they will see that the coach doesn't have enough confidence in his QB, 3 games into the year.

-Another thing that shocks me, is that the team lost TE Kellen Winslow, and RT Kevin Schaeffer on offense, LB's Andra Davis and Willie McGinest, and S Sean Jones, and replaced them with somewhat serviceable players, but the team looks so much worse than it was last year. LB Eric Barton is a definite upgrade over Davis, Abe Elam is comparable to Sean Jones, but this team just looks awful. I don't know who to point it on except the coaches. They are the ones who are supposed to establish an identity for the team, put players in the best situation to win, develop gameplans to attack opposing teams and utilize players to the best of their ability. I have seen none of this so far.

-Where do the Browns go from here? Honestly, I don't know. You really can't get much worse. We haven't scored a meaningful TD since my last Business Stats exam last November. The defense has yet to get an interception this season. If I am Mangini, I play Mo Massaqoui, Brian Robiskie, David Veikune, James Davis, and Coye Francies. It is obvious the people in front of them aren't cutting it, so why not give them a shot.

Well that does it for now. Lets hope the Browns can keep the game competitive versus the improved Bengals. At least the Indians swept the Orioles today. Did I mention Cavs training camp starts tomorrow? awoof awoof. Go Cleveland.

-Raz

Updates

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long delay. Lets get going.

Browns

-Boy do the Cleveland Browns suck. I thought they would at least win 6 games this year but that is a huge stretch. In the first half of each of the two games, the Browns defense has kept the team in the game. Due to the fact of our anemic offense, the defense stays on the field too long. Throughout the first two games, the Browns defense has been on the field for 66 minutes and 6 seconds, while the offense has been on the field for 53 minutes and 54 seconds. As you can see the offense is not holding up its end of the bargain.

-Brady Quinn is struggling (QB rating 66.9, 1 TD, 2 INT, 59% completion percentage), and he seems nervous in the pocket. He seems to be scared to making the big throw because he does not want to throw an interception. I understand the new offense is a ball control, short passing oriented style, but at the same time you need to let your quarterback loose a little big. Let him do some roll out plays, and slants. Every pass seems to be a checkdown pass. We need to be aiming for the endzone, and not just settle for field goals.

-People are questioning whether of not we should've drafted Jets QB Mark Sanchez in the first round and traded Brady Quinn. I understand Sanchez is 2-0, but at the same time, Quinn has made 5 starts his entire career. He needs time, and a couple more weapons on offense. An obvious need is a TE who can catch, and a #2 receiver. 2nd round picks WR's Brian Robiskie and Mo Massaqoui haven't seen too much of the field in the first two games, and they really need to step up. Josh Cribbs does not seem like he can fill the position of a #2 receiver (he dropped an important first down catch in Denver).

-The right side of the offense line is a mess. RT John St. Clair could not handle DT Elvis Dumervil on Sunday, as he had 4 sacks. Hank Fraley will be filling in at RG, and he will do a serviceable job. Quinn needs as much protection as he can get because of the fact that he is a young QB (24 yrs old), and has limited experience. He is still getting in the flow of offense.

-C 1st round pick Alex Mack has been struggling a little bit. He had a bad snap that led to a fumble in Denver. Give him some time, I think you will see a very solid player that will anchor the line. People often time complain that we traded our 5th pick to get a C, but at the time can you tell me a player we could've drafted that would start on this team, and that was a need? Mangini was right when he called WR Michael Crabtree a "diva" as he has yet to sign with the 49'ers, DE Brian Orakpo wasn't drafted till the middle of the first round, LB Aaron Curry was gone, there was no TE worth taking in the first round, and the Browns had Brady Quinn at QB.

-Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll need to open up the playbook a little bit. They need to stretch defenses out. If you are just throwing the ball 5-6 yards a play, defenses will just stack the line and put 8 men in the box. By throwing the ball down the field a little bit, it opens up defenses and allows more operating room for our wide receivers. Remember how many times DA threw the ball down the field in 2007? That offense really seemed to work.

-I don't have much to say on the defense because the offense can't seem to stay on the field. Any defense that stays on the field that much will eventually break down. You can defintley see the Browns and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan are blitzing more. While this is nice to see, it leaves CB's Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald in one on one coverage. We saw Denver WR Jabbar Gaffney burn Brandon McDonald because he had no one to support him. The Browns need to blitz a little less because our corners aren't strong enough to be left alone for a good portion of the game. You saw Eric Wright get tossed by Adrian Peterson and Corell Buckhalter.

-Kamerion Wimbley seems to have improved a little bit. You can see him pressuring the QB more often. He might not be the dominant 11 sack a year LB, but he is solid. LB Eric Barton is a solid veteran out there, and he seems to know Mangini's system well. I would like to see 2nd round pick LB David Veikune more often. We passed on LB Rey Mealuga (who is doing well for the Bengals now) to draft 2 WR's and a LB. It seems that the Browns won't be going to the playoffs, you might as well play some of the youngsters you got to see what you have.

-It is going to be a long season for the Browns. I had no idea things were this bad. The offense is timid and lacks a playmaker aside from Braylon Edwards, Jamal Lewis has looked OK so far, maybe we should see more of James Davis and Jerome Harrison. Play Mo Massaqoui and Brian Robiskie more, play rookie CB Coye Francies as the nickleback (Hank Poteat won't cut it), and play LB David Veikune more. Lets see what Mangini's draft could be made of. As long as the offense cannot convert 3rd downs, the defense will get worn down and we won't win too many games....

Indians

-Man, talk about another struggling team. The Indians have lost 10 straight games. They seem to have run out of gas. Seeing them out there play is just difficult. I bet you most people can't name 5 people in the starting lineup. Chris Giminez anyone?

-Manager Eric Wedge will probably be fired at the end of the year. I have no idea who will replace him or who will be a candidate. In his years here, he has made the playoffs once in his tenure. I really haven't been a big fan of Wedge. He doesn't seem to get my attention, and he just never seems to have a complete grip on things with the team.

-The Indians should be playing OF's Michael Brantley, Matt Laporta, Trevor Crowe, INF's Luis Valbuena, and Ande Marte. Lets see what these youngsters are made of. Brantley and Laporta were the key pieces of the CC deal. These are the future of the Indians and they can give us a glimmer of hope next year.

-The rotation next year is a complete tossup. If we do fire Wedge, I am interested in seeing what GM Mark Shapiro will do. Will he go out and sign a middle of the rotation pitcher? What is the status of Jake Westbrook? Will Kerry Wood get traded? Is Justin Masterson a starter or reliver? Will Grady Sizemore come back healthy?

-The Indians have a lot of question marks going into next year. This offseason could be a very active one for the Indians.

Cavs

-With training camp coming up soon, I am very excited about the upcoming season. According to sources, all the players are in the training facility working out now.

-Delonte West' arrest is a scary one. He has a history of depression, and I hope he gets better. He needs as much emotional support as ever. Brian Windhorst wrote a piece about how the Cavs are now examining their future with West. He was charged with marijuana possession last year, but the charges were dropped. He left the team for 10 days during training camp, and he showed up an hour before the Cavs played the Lakers this year. He has a history of problems and the Cavs have done a great job of giving Delonte freedom on this issue.

-I really hope Delonte stays in Cleveland. He plays a tough, nitty gritty style of basketball. He never quits, and he puts his heart into every game. He was a key piece to the 66 wins we had last year, and he is the 2nd best ball handler behind LeBron. In terms of a suspension, Delonte will probably be suspended for about 5-7 games. G Sebastian Telfair was suspended 3 games for gun possession, and G Stephen Jackson fired a gun in a parking lot and he got a 7 game suspension. West won't miss much time this year, but lets hope he stays healthy.

-Lastly, JJ Hickson is reportedly 100% and has been playing 5 v 5 for the past few weeks. This is great news as he missed the end of last season with back problems. He has been working out with LeBron this offseason, and he is excited for the upcoming season. I am a big fan of Hickson, as he posses great athletic skills, and low post skills. He will get time as the 4th bigman in the rotation. If he continues to develop, he could also be used as a trading piece come trading deadline time.

Thats it folks, I hope to update my blog more often. Thanks for reading and go Cleveland!

-Raz

Long Time (Part 2)

Alright, now that I have written about the Cavs' rash of moves, lets move onto the Indians. While most Indians fans have been blasting owner Larry Dolan for these trades, I don't put as much blame on him as others do. The real problem is the system of baseball and the salary structures. There is no salary cap like there is in the NFL and NBA. The Indians started the year with an $81 million payroll, good for 15th in the league. Thats pretty good considering how cheap the Dolan's have been since rebuilding began in 2001. When the team started losing, people stopped going to the games, thus revenues decrease and payroll must be cut. When you are losing money, you have to start cutting salary. Like any business, when the business is in the red, you have to start making cuts, and thats what the Indians did. Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, and Mark DeRosa are all very solid players with good contracts, thats why they were so attractive at the deadline. If the MLB had a salary cap, all teams would be able to spend the same amount of money. This would increase parity in the league, and you wouldn't see the same teams in the playoffs every year, teams wouldn't have to rebuild every 2 years, and in the case of the NBA, if a team wanted to go over the salary cap, the teams would have to pay a tax for it. With the MLB, there are no limits, and this is the problem.

Now looking at these trades, many people believe we got ripped off in these deals, but I think the DeRosa, and Victor trades are going to look the best in the end. So far, we traded Mark DeRosa, Ryan Garko, Rafael Betancourt, Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, and Carl Pavano for a total of 10 minor leaguers. In the DeRosa trade we got reliever Chris Perez, who has been solid this month (2.57 ERA) and minor leaguer Jess Todd. Perez seems to be finding a groove in the back end of the bullpen, and Todd is ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Cardinals organization this past year by Baseball America. The reason I believe this trade will go down as one of the better ones is the Indians got a good young reliever in Perez (only 24), and a solid pitching prospect in Todd.

In the Victor trade, it was very sad to see him go. He seemed like he truly wanted to be here and he even cried in his final interview as an Indian. The Tribe recieved pitchers Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. Notice the theme here again? Masterson is a young pitcher (24 years old), who can be a solid #3 guy in a rotation. Hagadone is ranked as the Red Sox 3rd best prospect, and Price is still in single A. The Indians got themselves young pitchers again. The other trades the Indians made were Garko being dealt for minor league pitcher Scott Barnes. Garko never impressed me that much here in Cleveland, he just never seemed to be consistent. Barnes is ranked as the 9th best prospect in the Giants organization. Carl Pavano was dealt to the Twins for a player to be named later, and Betancourt was traded to the Rockies for minor league pitcher Conor Graham, who is projected to be a back of the bullpen reliever. Betancourt was not going to be around next year because he has a $5 million team option and the Indians weren't going to pick it up.

Finally, the Cliff Lee trade. I think this trade will either be a complete steal, or a complete disaster. Lee and Francisco was traded for Triple-A right-hander Carlos Carrasco, Class A righty Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson, and shortstop Jason Donald. Knapp is the key to this deal. He is an 18 year old starter who throws 98 mph. All four of these guys are top 10 prospects in the Phillies organization. Everyone is making a big deal out of us not getting pitchers JA Happ or Kyle Drabek, but the truth of the matter is if we wanted one of those guys, the Phillies could've just traded one of them for Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays wanted both, but the Phillies wanted to keep one of them. Halladay can be seen as leverage for the Phillies because he was seen as the superior pitcher to Lee. Take Halladay off the market, and Lee is the only great starter in the market and his price will increase because he will be the lone pitcher in demand. In terms of the rest of the deal, Carrasco is struggling in AAA now, but there is some hope he can be a solid starter in the big leagues. Trading for a catcher seems pointless because of the fact we have Carlos Santana (considered a top 3 prospect in our organization), and we already have Asdrubal Cabrera, Beau Mills, Carlos Rivero, and Lonnie Chisenall ready to take positions in the middle and corner infield spots, so why trade for shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson? The Indians could flip those 2 prospects, but it seems unlikely. Those two pieces confused me, I would've rather had another pitching prospect or an outfielder.

Now looking back on all this, we acquired 2 major league ready pitchers, and 7 minor league pitchers, 2 position players, and a player to be named later. Not only did we cut our payroll from $81 million to $64 million through the trades, Our management team thought we would have 2.2 million for attendance this year, but it looks like the number is going to be between 1.8-1.9 million. We are projected to lose about $16 million this year. Add in the fact that our front office has not been able to scout and develop any pitching talent in the Shapiro regime, you can see why we made some of our moves. The Indians farm system has been depleted of pitchers. Aside from CC Sabathia and Jeremy Guthrie, the Indians have not drafted, signed, and developed a solid starting pitcher in the past 8 years. Guys such as Adam Miller, JD Martin, and Chuck Lofgren were just some names of Indians pitchers who were supposed to develop but never did. Mark Shapiro and his scouting staff have not done a good job of developing young pitchers, but I do trust Shapiro to be able to find good prospects through trades (Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis Hafner, Shin Soo Choo, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ryan Ludwick). I think in the end, we might not see the Bartolo Colon trade all over again, but I feel that with so many highly regarding pitching prospects being brought over, a couple of them have to pan out and do well. Remember, we also have outfielders Michael Brantley, and Matt LaPorta waiting in the wings with catcher Carlos Santana. These guys were all considered to be the top prospects in their organizations, and they will make contributions in the near future. While we didn't get the one hot name like JA Happ, Doug Drabek, or Clay Bucholz, we got a good collection of young pitching talent to use in the future (2011 looks like a good starting point). Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey once said that with pitchers its always better to have "Quantity over quality".

Thats all folks! Next time I will be writing a few thoughts on the Browns, and the recent signing of PF Leon Powe by the Cavs. Thanks again!

Long Time (Part 1)

Hello everyone, it has been a pretty longtime since I last wrote. In between my laziness, and work I never got around to this. I also wanted to wait till the NBA offseason was complete, and the MLB trade deadline to finish before writing. Since both of those have finished, I will share with you my thoughts.

Cavs Offseason

-The addition of Shaq was a great move in my opinion. As long as he stays in shape he is good for 15 points and 6 rebounds a game. Since Carlos Boozer, the Cavs have not had a serious low post threat. Shaq will be much better against Dwight Howard one on one, but he will struggle defending the pick and roll.

-Teams will now have to respect Shaq by doubleteaming him. This leaves shooters such as Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker, Mo Williams, Delonte West and Danny Green open. Remember how well Damon Jones and Jason Kapono shot with Shaq on their teams? Kapono shot 40% and 51% from 3 in his 2 years with Shaq, and Jones shot 43% in his lone season with Shaq. Kapono is a career 45% shooter from 3, and Jones is 39%. Yeah, Shaq will make a difference...

-People often times complain about Daniel Gibson's struggles, and I was dissapointed in him last year. He had a toe injury that affected his shot and confidence. Now that he has an offseason of rest, he will come back strong, and I expect him to shoot well.

-Andy's extension was a pretty big one (6 yrs $43 million, could go up to $50 million), and he did get overpaid. Bigmen in the NBA tend to get overpaid, look at Kenyon Martin ($15 million a year), Kenny Thomas ($8 million a year), Zach Randolph ($17 million a year), and Brian Cardinal ($6.7 million a year). Anderson is only 26 and he is a great energy guy, who will bug opposing players, play tough defense, and grab rebounds. LeBron likes him a lot too. I am sad we overpaid for him, but he fills a solid role on our team.

-The addition of Anthony Parker was a solid move. He will fill the role that Sasha couldn't fill. He is a solid defender, great midrange shooter (Top 10 midrange shooter in the NBA), and solid 3 point shooter (39% last year). Although he is 34, he has the legs of a 31 year old because he played 6 seasons overseas. Overseas basketball does not have the rigor of an 82 game schedule like the NBA does, and they do not play 4 times a week. He adds size (6'6), and some scoring punch to our bench (10 ppg last year). The Cavs signed him to a 2 year deal, thus not getting bogged down in a longer contract (Damon Jones? Donyell Marshall?)

-Jamario Moon was a GREAT pickup. People do not realize how athletic this guy is. Go to YouTube, type his name and see what you will find. He is a solid defender with long arms, and can finish when near the basket. He is exactly what we need to guard the Orlando Magic, a long athletic perimeter guy who can close out quick on the Orlando shooters. He will be catching many alley-oop dunks from LeBron this year. The Cavs signed him to a 2 year deal, with a team option for a 3rd year, thus increasing his trade value after next year.

-Drafting Christian Eyenga was a head scratcher for me, but I think he could pan out to be a Leandro Barbosa/Mickael Pietrus type of player. He is a freakish athlete, who has good size for a SG/SF (6'6), a developing jumper, solid defender, and he is only 19! Eyenga lacks some fundamentals as he isn't a great shooter, has low basketball IQ, and he cannot create his own shot. Add to the fact that he speaks no English, you have yourself a project. While playing for the Cavs in the NBA Summer League he showed some flashes of his amazing athletiscm and defense. The Cavs even thought about keeping him here for the year. He signed a 3 year deal to play with Spain's DKV Joventut (same team Ricky Rubio player for), with an opt out clause every year, so the Cavs can bring him back next year. He is better suited to play overseas anyways because they develop players in a more fundamental way than the NBDL.

-SG Danny Green was a great pick. He will be able to contribute right away. Playing for Roy Williams and North Carolina for 4 years was a great benefit. Williams has a knack for sending a lot of players to the NBA. His teammates Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough were all drafted in the first round. Green will be a solid SG off the bench, who has good size (6'6), smarts, a great shot (51% from 3 last year), and a good defender. He will benefit from the double teams Shaq will get. Again, this is what the Cavs wanted out of Sasha and Wally, and they really never got it.

- The Cavs bought the Suns 2nd round pick SF Emir Preldzic. He is 6'9 who can pass very well, and is a very smart basketball player but he lacks a great shot and athleticism. He is a good gamble late in the draft, and he will be stashed away overseas for awhile. I am glad Dan Gilbert was willing to spend some money on a developmental player like him.

-Former Kansas Jayhawks PG Russell Robinson accepted an invitation to training camp. He could make the roster because of the fact that he plays solid defense, and was a solid PG in college. The Cavs do not have a true point guard on the team, and Robinson could fill the void of 3rd PG.

-The Cavs have made a contract offer to PF Leon Powe. He will miss at least half the season after knee surgery. He could be a low risk/high reward pickup because it will allow us to play JJ Hickson more, and see what we have with him exactly. If Hickson struggles and is not ready, we can plug Powe in half way, if Hickson is doing well we can continue to play him, or use him or Powe as trade bait. Powe will probably come cheap as well because he won't be able to play half the year.

-The Celtics added Rasheed Wallace and might end up losing Glen Davis and Leon Powe. Their team is very old, and after players reach their 1,000th game, their numbers tend to fall. Did anyone watch Tim Duncan after his 1,000th game? Garnett got injured after his 1,000th game. Ray Allen is 34 (will hit 1,000th game this year too), Garnett is 33, and Paul Pierce is 32. Rasheed is 34 as well. Rajon Rondo was on the trading block the entire NBA offseason because he clashed with both his teammates and Doc Rivers. Both Rivers and GM Danny Ainge badmouthed Rondo during the offseason as well. Also, after Rasheed who comes off the bench for the Celtics? Eddie House? Ha. Tony Allen? Ha Ha. Brian Scalabrine? Ha Ha Ha. Think about this too, you have 2 of the most wild personalities in the NBA on the same team in Rasheed and Garnett. Cavs fans have seen Rasheed blow up numerous times, and even shut it down if his team wasn't winning. Garnett will chase after white PG's in an attempt to scare them (Ask Jose Calderon and Luke Ridnour). Age, chemistry issues, and a lack of depth are really going to the hurt the Celtics.

-To me the Cavs and the Magic are the teams to beat in the East. The Magic lost their BEST offensive option in Hedo Turkoglu, backup PG Rafer Alston, backup C Tony Battie, and young up and comer Courtney Lee. Alston is expendable because of the return of Jameer Nelson, but losing Courtney Lee and Hedo was huge. Lee is going to be a good player in the NBA, and he was even starting for the Magic. He is a great shooter and a good defender.

-Turkoglu is a matchup nightmare at SF because he is 6'10, can drive, shoot, and run the pick and roll to perfection. The Magic lost height on the perimeter, and one of their main facilitators in Hedo. While Vince Carter puts up big numbers (21 points per game last year), he gets his offense mainly through himself, as he creates his own shot to score. What makes the Magic so deadly is their ability to pass out from Howard to the perimeter and knock down 3 point shots, or run the pick and roll to get open looks. Carter cannot facilitate like Hedo, and he does not drive as well as him either. If Carter is trying to create his own shot, it neutralizes the Magic's strengths. Carter played with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, and they still could not beat the Cavs in the 2007 playoffs.

-The Magic re-signed Marcin Gortat and added PF Brandon Bass, SF Matt Barnes, and PF Ryan Anderson. Losing Courtney Lee is a bigger loss than the gain of Matt Barnes, but Bass and Anderson will be solid upgrades over Battie. Anderson is a solid 3 point shooter, but he doesn't defend that well. The Magic gained more depth downlow, but they lost some of their backcourt depth, and their best forward. Losing Hedo and Courtney Lee (who were both great shooters and defenders) will really come back to hurt the Magic in my opinion.

-The Lakers are my favorite to repeat for the NBA championship. They re-signed Lamar Odom, lost Trevor Ariza, but added Ron Artest. They got tougher defensivley, and still kept a lot of the length that helped them win it all last year. It will be great to see the Cavs and Lakers play on Christmas Day.

-Overall, I think the Cavs had a great offseason. They addressed their most pressing needs of a scoring bigman downlow (Shaq), an athletic wing defender (Moon), and taller perimeter defenders who can knock down shots (Parker and Green). We overpaid to re-sign Andy, but the Cavs need to win now and there weren't any replacements out there. We need to show LeBron we are serious about a championship here in Cleveland. We currently have the 3rd highest payroll in the NBA, and it will probably be 2nd highest after we sign Danny Green. I have a lot of appreciation for Danny Ferry's patience and smarts (losing out on Artest, Ariza, and Villanueva/turning Ben Wallace and Sasha into Shaq), and Dan Gilbert's willingness to open his checkbook. It just goes to show you that you have to spend money to put a quality team on the field.

I will write about the Indians trades' in a little bit. Thanks for reading!

NBA Draft Preview

Hello everyone. It has been awhile since I have last written a blog. I wanted to write a preview of what the Cavs might do in this Thursdays NBA Draft. I have been trying to find out who the Cavs have worked out, and they really haven't worked out too many players. The last 2 times the Cavs had draft picks, they drafted the player they worked out. Since the Cavs own the 30th pick, they really have no idea who will be around when they pick. A lot of what I have read from RealCavsFans message board, and from Brian Windhorst is that the Cavs will look to trade up or buy a pick. The reason why this is reasonable is because in the NBA Draft, teams can buy draft picks and they usually cost $3 million. Since we have an owner willing to spend money, if the right opportunity comes about then I believe the Cavs will try to buy a pick. Also, with tough economic conditions, teams could be looking to save some money.

Previously I have written the needs that the Cavs have. They need a backup PG, a tall athletic SF/PF, and another bigman. This draft is full of PG's, there is a few athletic SF's/PF's, but not a lot of bigmen. I believe the Cavs should take someone who could contribute immediately with there first pick, and with their second pick they should take a developmental player. The Cavs need people who can step in immediatley, but at the same time they need to develop young talent for the future. I think the Cavs will end up with a PG and a SF when the draft is said and done. Here are some guys the Cavs could take....

Earl Clark, SF, Louisville- Clark is a guy the Cavs would probably have to trade up to get. He is projected to get taken between 15-20. He is exactly what the Cavs need: an athletic defender who can guard the perimeter, handle the ball, and shoot the midrange shot. He has great size at 6'10. He can also grab rebounds and pass well. While he is a little raw, he is someone who could come off the bench and get solid playing time his rookie year. He matches up well with the Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkgolus.

Sam Young, SF, Pittsburgh- There is an outside chance that Young could be there at 30, but probably not. Again, the Cavs would need to either buy him, or move up to get him. He is 6'7, atheltic, good finisher, solid shooter, and defender. He is a little old for his class (24 years old), but he is someone who would be able to step in and contribute immediately to the Cavs. Again, he is someone who could matchup well with the Magic, and he can be had at a cheap price.

Ty Lawson, PG, UNC- Lawson is a little undersized for the PG position (6'0), but he is lightning quick, and he can go to the hole with ease. He is a good defender, has good court vision, and he does turn the ball over a lot. Lawson needs to work on his jumper, but he is someone who can run the 2nd unit. There is a chance he could fall to the Cavs with the influx of PG's in this draft.

Terrance Williams, SG/SF, Louisville- Williams, much like Clark is an athletic forward from Lousiville. He isn't as tall as Clark, but he is 6'6. He can guard the SF position, and he seems very interested on that side of the floor. This makes him very attractive in the Mike Brown style of coaching, in that Brown emphasizes defense first. He is very long, and he can handle the ball pretty well. The only major knock on his game is that he is not a great shooter. He can get to the hole, and he is a very good dunker. He to go mid-late first round, so the Cavs would have to move up to get him.

Eric Maynor, PG, VCU- Although his name has not been mentioned with the Cavs, I personally would love to see Maynor here. He is projected to be taken between 15-22, so the Cavs have to buy him or move up. He has excellent size for the PG position at 6'3, and we all know how much Mike Brown loves size. He is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. He is a floor general in every sense, he is improving his 3 point shot, he is a great defender, and he takes very good care of the ball. He fits the bill of someone who could run our 2nd unit.

Darren Collison, PG, UCLA- Collison is a PG who could fall into the 2nd round because there are so many good PG's in this draft. Collison could step in day one and play with the 2nd unit. He played 4 years at UCLA, and he is very experienced. A true floor general, great defender, incredibly fast, and he takes good care of the ball. He is a little small at 6'0, but if the Cavs do stand pat at 30, he is definitely a guy who they should consider.

Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary's- Mills is another lightning quick PG who is a solid defender, and a true floor general. He is great at getting to the basket and he can defender the perimeter. He is somewhat of an inconsistent shooter, and he is very small at 5'11. He played at a small time school and he didn't play the best competition. If he is around at pick 46 (our 2nd round pick), I definitely think he would be a great pick up for us. He drew a lot of attention to himself this past summer with his play for Team Australia in the Olympics. He played very well versus Team USA, and he will definitely have a place in the NBA.

DaJuan Summers, SF, Georgetown- Summers would be a solid pick, and there is a chance he could be around late in the first round. He has great size at 6'9, and he is a very athletic guy. He would be very good in a Cavs uniform because he is a very good shooter, and he could open up the floor for LeBron. While he isn't a great rebounder or slasher, he is someone who could sneak under the radar.

Danny Green, SG/SF, UNC- Green is a smooth player who can shoot the ball very well. He is a very good defender and he has good size at 6'7. He is a tough player who has high basketball IQ. He isn't that athletic, and he lacks explosiveness, but he is someone who is crafty and smooth enough to make things happen. Green is projected to go a little after the lottery, so the Cavs would have to trade or buy him.

Omri Casspi, SF, Israel- Now I know Cavs fans would be upset if we drafted this guy, and I would be too a little bit. Casspi plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, and he plans on staying there next year. The Cavs could draft him in the 2nd round, hold his rights, not pay him anything, then when he is ready bring him over. This would be an ideal situation because Casspi has good size at 6'9, and he can guard the perimeter well. He is a tough player, solid rebounder, and he can get to the basket. He isn't a great shooter, and he isn't that athletic. With the Cavs trying to win now, I don't see Casspi being drafted by us in the first round.

Joe Ingles, SF, Australia- O no, not another foreign white guy! The Cavs did indeed workout Ingles, but we won't take a stab at him untill the 2nd round, if we decided to go with him. I only have him here because of the position he plays, and the fact that the Cavs worked him out. He is listed at 6'8, and has a smoother game that Casspi does. He handles the ball better and he has good court vision. Again, Ingles would be an overseas developmental guy.

James Johnson, SF/PF, Wake Forest- The only reason Johnson is here is because his stock has dropped because he showed up to the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp 15 pounds heavier. Teams picking in the 20's are looking at him now, but before he was projected as a lottery pick. He is an atheltic forward who is stuck between 2 positions. He can rebound, shoot, and he is a strong guy. He isn't a great penetrator, and he doesn't have too many post moves, but he has the size the Cavs need. Johnson seems to be a longshot out of everyone listed here, but you never say never.

Derrick Brown, PF, Xavier- Brown is a 6'9 PF, who is very athletic, and he has long arms. He can shoot the ball very well (43% from 3 last year), and he can finish around the hoop. He isn't a great ballhandler, and he can be passive at times, but the Cavs really don't need a ballhandler with Delonte, Mo, and LeBron on the team. Brown could be available when the Cavs draft at #30, and he could fall into the 2nd round.

Now after listing all these guys, I really don't have a clue who the Cavs will take. These are just my logical guesses. I wouldn't be shocked if the Cavs didn't take one of the 13 guys listed here. If I had to guess a sleeper I would guess Terrance Williams because of the fact he is an excellent defender with size. The guys I want the most are Eric Maynor, Darren Collison, Sam Young, and Earl Clark. Maynor is a solid floor general who can lift a team himself, Collison has a lot of experience and plays great defense, Young is a tough player who has a lot of experience as well, and Clark is someone who has great size and athleticism, and the most potential to improve as well. I think these guys can make an impact on our team from day one. They each fit our need of either a backup PG or athletic SF. Also, remember that there are always a few draft day deals that go down. Last year we saw the Jermaine O'Neal/TJ Ford trade, and the year before we saw the Ray Allen deal. I have nothing to speculate, but I hope Danny Ferry can get a good start to our offseason this Thursday.

Looking Forward....

After last nights disappointing loss, the Cavs have a very big offseason to look forward to. LeBron can opt out of his contract in 2010, and this could be the Cavs last chance to put together a championship caliber team for LeBron. Heading forward, I don't have any inside information about what the Cavs are going to do, but I will try to make some educated guesses. Our biggest needs going into the offseason are a tough low post scorer, a tall small forward who can guard the perimeter, and a backup PG. We saw how Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum torched us in the post, we saw the mismatches the Magic gave us on the perimeter, the limited production we got in the post from our bigs was just awful, and we have no one to handle the ball with our 2nd unit.

Offseason Summary
-The Cavs have a lot of salaries coming off the book. Wally ($14 million), Joe Smith ($1.2 million), Eric Snow ($7 million), Lorenzen Wright ($1.2 million), are all off of our books. This brings our salary cap number down to $71.8 million. Anderson will opt out, which brings our cap number down to $65 million. I think the Cavs will try to bring Anderson back, but on a budget. They don't want to pay him too much because they need to save some cap room to get another superstar with LeBron in 2010. Z will pick up his player option, so we stay at $65 million. Sasha Pavlovic's contract is partially guaranteed, and he can be paid $1.5 million dollars and be let go, or we can pay him $4.95 million next year and keep him.
-The wild card here is that Ben Wallace is strongly considering retiring. If he retires he can do one of many things, this includes walking away from his $14 million salary next year, he can negotiate a buyout, or he can play it out. If Wallace was to walk away from his contract completely, it was bring our salary cap number down to about $48 million dollars. This would bring us under the projected $58 million salary cap. The probably won't happen, but the Cavs will have some flexibility if a buyout is agreed upon, and if Sasha is bought out. If Wallace retires, we can still trade his $14 million salary but he can negotiate a buyout with a team we trade him to. Ferry has to decide if he can get a better player in free agency or through a trade. In a trade it would save the team we are trading him to a lot of money because they would be trading away $14 million dollars worth of salary, but only pay the buyout amount. This makes him very valuable.
-Draft Picks: The Cavs have 2 draft picks in the upcoming draft. We own the 30th and 46th picks in this draft. While this is considered a weak draft class, it still has some solid players in it. One of the needs the Cavs need to address is a backup PG. Daniel Gibson won't cut it, and we have no one to handle the ball with our 2nd unit. This draft class is loaded with good PG's. This includes players such as Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, Jeff Teague, Jrue Holliday, Johnny Flynn, Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, Stephen Curry, Patrick Mills, and Curtis Jerrells. The only guys I see falling to the Cavs are Mills and Jerrells. Also, there is a glut of athletic SF's in this draft, it includes DaJuan Summers, Sam Young, and Damion James. All 3 of these guys are seasoned players, and they could contribute early in their NBA careers. These guys could be around at #30.
-There aren't many good bigmen in this draft, and since we are drafting so low, we probably would have to take a developmental prospect with our 46th pick. A tough bigman is needed to replace Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, possibly even Andy. Our chances of finding one late in the draft aren't good, so I think trading one of our picks is a possibility.
-The Cavs still have a very valuable trading piece in JJ Hickson. His name was tossed around in a few deals last year, and I expect to hear the same this offseason. I believe he will only be traded if we land a big name.
-Chinese investors bought a 15% stake in the team last week. This is huge because it will give us immediate capital for the team. This will give us financial flexibility, and it will allow us to take back some bad contracts in our attempts to land a superstar next to LeBron.
-With the U.S. economy still reeling from the current recession, a lot of NBA teams are trying to cut salaries. The New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, and Milwaukee Bucks are all trying to save as much money because they have felt the pinch of this recession. The Cavs on the other hand have lots of salaries coming off their books, an injection of cash into the team from the Chinese investors, and an owner in Dan Gilbert who is willing to spend money. This could be very beneficial to us because teams will be looking to dump salary, and the best way for teams to dump salary is to pair them with a great player, and receive an expiring contract in return (Ben Wallace/Sasha).

Possible Names to Consider:
-Andrei Kirilenko, SF, Utah Jazz- This one is my wild card player I think the Cavs will go after. He fits the bill of exactly what we need. He is tall (6'9), plays great defense, can drive to the hoop, and he is very energetic. He is the type of guy who can matchup very well against a Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkgolu. He would be replacing Sasha Pavlovic and Wally. The reasons why I don't think we would get him though is because his contract goes past 2010, and he is making $16 million next year, and $17 million in 2010, which would kill our 2010 plans. I think if the Jazz got a good offer for AK47, they could trade him because the Jazz struggled last year in the playoffs, and they have to decide on what they are going to do with Paul Milsap, and Carlos Boozer becoming free agents, and Mehmet Okur having an early termination option as well.
-Shaq, C, Phoenix Suns- The Cavs tried acquiring him at the trade deadline, and it did not work out. I still believe the Suns are going to try to trade Shaq because they know they won't win with him, their owner Robert Sarver is hurting in this bad economy, and their window of opportunity for winning a championship is basically shut. There was even talk of them trading Amare Stoudemire in February! The Cavs will probably have to part with some draft picks, Ben's contract, Sasha, and maybe JJ Hickson. Shaq would give us an immediate post threat that teams would have to account for. Also, his contract expires in 2010 which is huge. I think Shaq would be great in Cleveland because of his ability to score in the post, and rebound. While Shaq is old (37 years old), he put up 18 points and 8 rebounds per game last year. His PER went from 17.07 the year before to 22.33 this past year. When Shaq is healthy and motivated, he is still a force to be reckoned with.
-Chris Kaman, C, LA Clippers- The only reason I have him here is because the Clippers will be taking Blake Griffin with the first pick in the NBA Draft, and Zach Randolph's contract is impossible to trade, and Marcus Camby has an expiring deal, thus Kaman becomes expendable. Clippers owner Donald Sterling is always looking to save money, and Kaman is set to make $10 million next year. Kaman has good post skills, and he is a great rebounder, he just isn't that great of a defender. The reason why I don't think it would happen is because his contract goes past 2010. The Cavs need to decide if they can get a guy now that can help them win a championship, or get someone who might not be as good but have a 2010 friendly contract. This is a big issue.
-Chris Bosh, F, Toronto Raptors- If the Cavs get this guy, we win the championship. Its that simple. I know I have listed Bosh before, but according to a report from the NY Daily News, people inside the Raptors organization are realizing that they might have to trade Bosh. Toronto has no young talent around him, limited cap room this year, and it might make sense to trade for him before he becomes a free agent in 2010. Bosh can score downlow, he is big (6'11), and he is a great defender, who played with LeBron on Team USA this past year. I really think the Cavs have a chance at getting this guy too. Think about this, Pau Gasol was traded for Kwame Brown (expiring deal), Javaris Crittenton (young PG, with the Wizards now), 2 first round picks, and Marc Gasol. Marc Gasol is the only solid piece to come of that deal. Kevin Garnett was traded for Al Jefferson (great young player), Ryan Gomes (bench player), Sebastian Telfair (bum), Gerald Green (he rarely plays for Dallas), and Theo Ratliff (throw in). The Cavs can offer a first round pick this year, and in 2011, JJ Hickson, expiring deal of Ben Wallace, and either Sasha or Darnell, and we can take back the bad contract of Jason Kapono as well. The Raptors would save loads of money, get a promising young bigman, draft picks, and another young player. The only team I can think of that could do such a trade is Portland, but it makes no sense for them to do it because they have a young PF in LaMarcus Aldridge and a young C in Greg Oden. It will be interesting to see what happens.
-Tyson Chandler, C, New Orleans Hornets- The reason why I have him on the list is because the Hornets tried trading him at the trade deadline for 2 expiring deals (Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith), so obviously they are having financial difficulties. Chandler is a good low post defender, can block shots, and rebound. He has excellent size at 7'0, and he can run the floor. His contract does go past 2010, but he would give us great size downlow to defend, and his offensive game is not that polished. We again have the expiring deal of Ben Wallace to work with, along with Sasha Pavlovic's expiring deal. Taking back a bad contract would probably be required to pull off this trade.
-Jason Kidd, PG, Dallas Mavericks- Kidd is a free agent, and with so much cap space coming off of our books, the Cavs could make a small splash in free agency. With few teams having cap space, a tough U.S. economy where NBA teams are looking to save, free agents won't be getting huge deals we've seen in the past. We would probably use our mid level exception to get Kidd. He said earlier in the year he could see himself playing here, and while he isn't as good as he use to be, he can shoot the open 3, find and help set up his teammates. He takes very good care of the ball, and he is a true floor general. He played with LeBron on Team USA this past summer, and LeBron lobbied to get him in the 2008 trade deadline. There is a definite chance it could happen. I would love to see Jason Kidd as our backup PG.
-Matt Barnes, SF, Phoenix Suns- Barnes will be a free agent as well this offseason. He would fit our need for a backup SF. He is 6'7, extremely athletic, and he can defend. If the price is right, I think the Cavs will take a look.
-Ron Artest, SF, Houston Rockets- This would be a huge long-shot. Artest is a free agent, but his price tag will be high. He is an excellent, tough defender, with great size (6'8) and solid offensive skills. He would be a nightmare matchup for most teams because the Cavs would then have 6'9 LeBron paired with 6'8 Artest in the frontcourt. I only see Artest coming here if the Cavs are under the cap, and if Artest does not get the offers he is looking for.
-Lamar Odom, F, LA Lakers- Odom is a free agent this offseason as well, but his price tag will be somewhat high as well. He has great size (6'11), speed, athleticism, and he can score both inside and outside. He can defend the perimeter and when he puts his mind to it, he can rebound as well. He is versatile enough to play SF and PF as well. The Lakers have to decide what to do with Odom, and Trevor Ariza (he is a free agent too) because both are very valuable to the Lakers. Much like Artest, I only see Odom coming here if we are under the salary cap, and he doesn't have any good offers from good teams.
-Brandon Bass, PF, Dallas Mavericks- I love Brandon Bass because he is a tough, physical bigman, who can grab rebounds. He will be a free agent this offseason, and we could use a part of our mid level exception to sign him. He would be a solid bigman off the bench, and while he wouldn't solve our problems of low post scoring, he would give us much needed depth, as Joe Smith did last year.

Again, I have no inside information on any of this stuff, but I these are just my thoughts. A lot of this offseason is going to hinge on what Ben Wallace decides to do, and what direction the Andy negotiations go. If I am the Cavs, I bring Andy back only at the right price. He is a young bigman, and if his offensive game continues to develop he could be a very reliable asset to this team. Wally I wouldn't bring back because he is getting old, and he is not athletic enough to defend anymore. I would bring Joe Smith back at a very cheap price. Depending on what the trade market is like, I might hold on to Sasha because his deal expires, and he is still a young player (25 years old). I will write a NBA Draft preview later this month, contingent that the Cavs keep their picks! Thanks for reading!

-Raz

Mission: Failure

Well folks, not a fun night. The Cavs dream season came to a slamming end against the Orlando Magic tonight with a 103-90 loss. I thought we had a very good chance to beat this team, but in the end, the combination of a dominant bigman, and consistent three point shooting became our achillies heal, which led to our demise this season.

-Losing Game 1 killed us. I have said all along that winning Game 1 is huge in any series, and we did not do it. We lost our homecourt invincibility, and we lost our confidence. Once the Cavs saw that they could be beat, especially in the playoffs, we seemed tentative and afraid. We took Orlando too lightly in the second half of Game 1, blowing a 16 point half time lead. After that, we never really quite looked the same for 48 minutes....
-Its sad that LeBron had such a dominating series (41 ppg 8 assists 8 rebounds), and it all basically goes to waste. Add the fact that he hit the biggest shot in Cavs history in Game 2, you get an uneasy feeling inside. He didn't even speak to the media after the loss tonight, and he went straight to the team bus......
-I am disappointed in LeBron's game tonight somewhat because he just seemed too tentative tonight. He didn't not come out aggressive, and he seemed to shy away from the basket when he didn't get foul calls early on. Also, Delonte and Mo each stepped up scoring 22 and 17 respectfully. He seemed tired in the end of the game, and it was probably from carrying the team on his back for so long.
-I give a lot of credit to Delonte West in this game and series. He was the only one fighting this entire game and he seemed fearless. He had a few step back jumpshots, a three pointer, and he attacked the basket. With 1 minute left in the 4th quarter, off of a missed shot, he went and stripped the ball out of Hedo Turkgolu's hands, even though the game was long over. He had to guard Hedo the entire series and he was giving up about 7 inches too. For those of you who play basketball, giving up that much size on defense isn't fun.
-Mo Williams was truly a disappointment in the first four games. He seemed very nervous, and he couldn't get any consistency out of his 3 point shot. He came alive when it was too late, he scored 25 points in game 5 and 17 tonight. The Cavs needed production out of him earlier in the series and they didn't get it. In the series as a whole, he only shot 35%....
-The bench was also very bad. Joe Smith, and Wally gave nothing, Daniel did hit a couple of 3 pointers, Sasha didn't get enough playing time, Ben Wallace tried his best on Dwight, but its obvious his best days are way behind him. This is an area in which the Cavs will need to get a Mickael Pietrus/JR Smith type of guy off the bench who can just score as a 6th man.
-Everyone is making an issue of LeBron not talking to the media after the game. Big deal. Have you ever played a sport where you wanted to win very badly, worked a very long time to get to where you were and you lost? Did you want to talk to anyone afterwards? LeBron was so focused on winning a championship, and he came up short. I don't think he needs to explain himself to everyone. The national media will make this out to be something big, and that he is going to NYC in 2010. You really think that while LeBron was walking out of the locker room, he said to himself "NYC, here I come!". I think not. Some of the members of the media should consider playing team sports, it could help in situations like this.
-Mike Brown got outcoached in this series. He should have played Sasha more instead of Wally because of his athleticism, and ability to drive. He could have better guarded Hedo or Rashard. Z played too many minutes in the first 4 games, as he played over 28 minutes a game in each. Z cannot guard the Magic pick and roll because he is too slow. He cannot score in the paint anymore, and if he can't shoot his jumper, there isn't much use for him aside from rebounding. Darnell Jackson should have gotten more playing time because he is a big body who can absorb contact and eat fouls. Joe Smith should have played more as well, because of his ability to shoot jumpers and guard the 3 point shot. Also, Mike Brown really didn't try doing anything radical or different. How about putting Tarence Kinsey in to guard Courtney Lee or Mickael Pietrus, so LeBron could guard Rashard or Hedo? Kinsey is definitely athletic enough to do so, and he has the height to matchup with them (6'6). Throw something at the Magic that they haven't seen, force them to adjust to you. Go with a smaller, quicker lineup, run the ball up the court faster or maybe post up LeBron. Brown seemed to go with his same rotations, and when your in an elimination game, you need to try to do EVERYTHING to win.
-All in all, I don't know what to think about this offseason. Andy and Z can opt out of there contracts (Andy probably will, Z probably won't), Wally's contract expires (he won't be back), Sasha has a partially guaranteed contract (trade bait), Joe Smith is a free agent (might be back), we have 2 draft picks in the upcoming draft, Ben Wallace has a $14 million expiring deal, the mid-level exception at hand, and Chinese Investors bought a 15% stake in the Cavs (more cash to use). I am not sure what all this adds up to, but Danny Ferry and company are definitely going to have to get creative this offseason. I will write a more detailed review of our season, and preview of our offseason later.

I am proud of the way the Cavs played this year and they played great. I am thankful that we got to see this team achieve the best record in the NBA, go 39-2 at home in the regular season, develop great team chemistry, pull off last second heroics (@ Clippers, @ Atlanta, @ Golden State), blowout wins, hilarious pre-game rituals, the awards won by LeBron James and Mike Brown, but in the end our one goal of a championship was a failure in itself.......

-Raz